tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74013695276339604342018-03-07T07:23:10.699-08:00Justine's Toronto Dining Adventuresjusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-29371102989240343782012-02-21T18:32:00.000-08:002012-02-21T18:32:21.499-08:00dancing through life: Nourishing My Tummy in St. Lucia<a href="http://maintenancewithashley.blogspot.com/2012/02/nourishing-my-tummy-in-st-lucia.html">dancing through life: Nourishing My Tummy in St. Lucia</a>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-76579517062081252362011-12-19T08:51:00.000-08:002011-12-19T08:51:22.640-08:00THE CEILI COTTAGE...The Irish Pub that feels like - well, the cottage!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I do love my Ceili Cottage. True, it is located right in my new adopted neighbourhood of Leslieville, but regardless, it is as&nbsp;unpretientious and comforting as it gets - same goes with the ambiance and&nbsp;food.</div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="265" id="il_fi" src="http://www.bizbash.com/content/editorial/StoryPhoto/big/e15958image4.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="400" /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Let me get right to the food here (really what my focus is on ha) and allow&nbsp;me to be a&nbsp;slightly biased here...&nbsp;and promote&nbsp;my favorite dish on the menu&nbsp;which&nbsp;is a &nbsp;must try (and there are several&nbsp;other yummy choices).&nbsp;What I am talking about&nbsp;is the mixed mushroom and blue cheese on toast&nbsp;platter. In front of you lies&nbsp;a beautiful and generous assortment of mushrooms (shitake, oyster etc) which fully covers 2 fresh slices of house toasted bread.&nbsp; The whole arrangement is topped with a generous portion of blue cheese. Needless the say the combination is magic. There are wicked oyster plates of course - one of their specialties. They shuck each oyster right there in front of you, grate some fresh horseradish, and provide you with 3 very different but all very tasty homemade sauces (see pic below)<br /><br />Numerous and unique&nbsp;beers are also&nbsp;available on tap. And, best of all, the atmosphere is like nowhere else in the city. You literally feel like you've just entered a friend's small cottage. Cider, local beer, as well as various private imports are on tap. In&nbsp;terms of wine (yes some of us are just not beer drinkers) these guys&nbsp;have a a good selection for a pub, at different price points, including affordable wines by the glass, for example a tasty pinot grigio &amp; reisling for only $6.50!<br /><br />Each day&nbsp;serves up new food specials on their blackboard&nbsp;- around&nbsp;10&nbsp;bucks for the main...very affordable!&nbsp;These include curries, and burgers, depending on the day of the week (check website for daily specials). They also serve a wicked bowl of mussles and homecooked mac and cheese (see picture or me below&nbsp;endulging lol)<br />The service is also stellar - enough personality here&nbsp;to&nbsp;keep you entertained all night! For example,&nbsp;just start a convo&nbsp;with&nbsp;Kyle - you'll know whaat I mean. (He always makes fun of me for being French..lol)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So forget the Fox, Firkin, Fiddle or&nbsp;any other of those Toronto&nbsp;conventional <span style="background-color: black;">and <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="background-color: transparent; cursor: default;">indistinguishable</span></span>&nbsp;bar chains&nbsp;we find at every second corner in this city.&nbsp;This place brings you back in time to what a pub was traditionally all about -&nbsp;good drink, fare, and company in&nbsp;an unprentious setting. Besides, what other bar in this city holds a skating rink in the winter and patio in the&nbsp;summer in the same space! So make your way out to the east and visit this gem...</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EcgHY2fqIZA/TWXYwCpBnBI/AAAAAAAAABs/_xZe1U5qx20/s1600/ceili+cottage+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EcgHY2fqIZA/TWXYwCpBnBI/AAAAAAAAABs/_xZe1U5qx20/s320/ceili+cottage+2.jpg" width="237" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div align="center" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Fully enjoying&nbsp;the﻿ mussles and homemade mac and cheese! <br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-07X9Bez-rkU/Tu9eXxrwraI/AAAAAAAAAGg/OvXhMhOms9M/s1600/mail-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-07X9Bez-rkU/Tu9eXxrwraI/AAAAAAAAAGg/OvXhMhOms9M/s1600/mail-1.jpeg" /></a></div><br />Bartender Kyle oyster shucking away some Maritime oysters<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MCHEAwAQ68o/Tu9fBJtZBkI/AAAAAAAAAGo/pNIipEz8_KA/s1600/mail.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MCHEAwAQ68o/Tu9fBJtZBkI/AAAAAAAAAGo/pNIipEz8_KA/s1600/mail.jpeg" /></a></div>Half dozen maritime oyster plate..with all the fixins: fresh horseradish and 3 homemade sauces<br /><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Ceili Cottage</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: x-small;">1301 Queen Street East, (just east of Leslie Street)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: x-small;">416-406-1301</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.ceilicottage.com/">http://www.ceilicottage.com/</a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zp_jMMXDXuU/TWXYJqT0L6I/AAAAAAAAABo/XAI0VZmFDdk/s1600/ceili+cottage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-79711353937660278022011-08-05T03:08:00.000-07:002011-08-05T03:08:15.626-07:00Mom visits me in Toronto. a 4 day culinary adventure alright! Stay tuned for reviews/pics of it all!In celebration of my mom (the equally as excited.. and pick foodie as I)&nbsp;coming to visit me from Montreal, I've got all sorts of cool dining experiences planned for us. I will be blogging some short reviews of each one. Lots of surprises along the way. Let's see if I, and my little blackberry camera can keep up with the hustle and bustle of the days to come! Included will be some thoughts from both mother and daughter, as we both don't always agree on the same things, yet both are very vocal on our opinions! Should be exciting! Stay tuned.justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-41043223531055228922011-04-16T17:21:00.000-07:002011-04-16T17:21:14.430-07:00Ruby Watchco...one word...AMAZING!<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last weekend I&nbsp;had the delightful&nbsp;fortune of being invited out&nbsp;by a couple of dear friends to&nbsp;one of Toronto’s most well known restaurants – and boasting one of Canada’s top chefs -&nbsp;Lyne Crawford, who I was lucky enough to meet. She incidentaly also happens to be just as&nbsp;cool and friendly on a full house packed night as she appears&nbsp;to be on&nbsp;her food network tv show. She was always out there, even clearing tables and making sure all the clients had everything they needed. This to me is the true sign of a passionate and dedicated chef. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our “reservations” were for 9pm, and although we didn’t get seated until 10:30 pm, I must note there had been a miscommunication between the reserver (Murray - yes that's you) and the restaurant. Regardless, all was good. We were well taken care of while we waited. We decided to take this time to chat over one of their cocktails, which made me discover their very impressive drink menu. The 3 of us opted for the safe but always wise choice –&nbsp;the oh so classic cosmos!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Those who know me know I love my cosmos when they’re well done (no lime cordial nono...) And these were definitely top notch – only fresh ingredients in this one!</span><br />﻿﻿ <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LddgNfEcXqw/Taoo5Es3pzI/AAAAAAAAAD4/gQr6GBVlSxM/s1600/MeBruceJust.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LddgNfEcXqw/Taoo5Es3pzI/AAAAAAAAAD4/gQr6GBVlSxM/s200/MeBruceJust.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chillin' waiting&nbsp;for our table over a round of cosmos<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>﻿﻿ </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we were seated at a corner section of the very cute rustic looking bar, we were greeted by our waiter with the most delicious basket of homemade biscuits. We were all so famished at this point that&nbsp;we asked for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>a double portion..and were granted that wish. Those definitely hit the spot before the feast to come.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17zgFF37fkI/TaPDEwWZaGI/AAAAAAAAADw/Hquzjy82JTs/s1600/Ruby+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17zgFF37fkI/TaPDEwWZaGI/AAAAAAAAADw/Hquzjy82JTs/s320/Ruby+sign.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those of you who aren’t familiar with the very unique menu formula at Ruby Watchco, well there is no real menu per-se. It is a prix-fix menu meaning we are all eating the same thing - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>4 courses to be exact, which change every day but the format remains the same – 1 appetizer <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>(usually a type of salad), 1 main dish with it’s sides, a cheese plate, and a homemade desert. The idea Chef Crawford was going for was as if we were being invited into her home where she would serve us a homecooked meal. Even the courses are brought to your table family style, in a communal cast iron dish where we pick serve our portions our. And, since each day boasts only 1 menu, you are assured that the items were very carefully picked, all the attention is being focused onto the choice at hand, and in turn we are treated to the best of the best. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not to mention this takes away from the hastle (at least for me) of debating with what may be the best choice on the menu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Now I know that choice is made for me ...love it! I just know I’m coming in and will be served a top notch homecooked meals by those who are passionate about food and want to share their night’s creation with us.</span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-efpHEUcxrVQ/TaPDKH6p0zI/AAAAAAAAAD0/1BIsqXyDSwU/s1600/menu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-efpHEUcxrVQ/TaPDKH6p0zI/AAAAAAAAAD0/1BIsqXyDSwU/s400/menu.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Menu...next to my glass of red wine of course ;)</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The menu started off with one of the tastiest and freshest salads I have had in a long time - &nbsp;Marinated eggplant and couscous salad. This salad was loaded with all sorts of fresh greens, herbs and lightly (key for success) tossed in a simple dill dressing. The flavours were very straightforward&nbsp;and complementary and nothing overpowered anything else – which to me, is a sign of successful&nbsp;salad.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div>﻿ <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIkpHYnBXh4/TaPC9PRwKPI/AAAAAAAAADs/KkVICXz1yGg/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vIkpHYnBXh4/TaPC9PRwKPI/AAAAAAAAADs/KkVICXz1yGg/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salad and homemade buscuits</td></tr></tbody></table>﻿ <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then came the main attraction – the slow roasted beef sirloin with red wine jus with sides of mixed grilled vegetables as well as potatos and brisket. The meat was perfectly pink and tender.&nbsp;The portions brought to us were extremely generous. </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6RvxAS6VDw/TaouBzMD2FI/AAAAAAAAAEE/LXe1ep6MFCY/s1600/main+dish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6RvxAS6VDw/TaouBzMD2FI/AAAAAAAAAEE/LXe1ep6MFCY/s320/main+dish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef and it's sides..sorry couldn't wait to dig in before taking a pic</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /><br />&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On to the 3rd cours - the&nbsp;cheese plate - simply put: It&nbsp;was great. I love to mix of a sharp cheese with something sweet and this dish offered just that. We each got a slice of eweda cru cheese with a yummy orange marmalade. But even more interesting, was the sweet crispy cracker it came on, almost boardering on a cookie. The perfect marriage of sweet&nbsp;&amp; salty and soft and crunchy. I loved the contrasts in each bite.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At that point I was more than full...but I definitely wasn’t going to pass on the desert - the item on the menu which I had been eyeing from the moment&nbsp;we came it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>It read <em>crispin apple crumble with stracciatella ice cream</em>. As soon as&nbsp;you mention&nbsp;apple crumble with ice cream I am sold! I am not a big desert person&nbsp;there is&nbsp;something about the combination of&nbsp;a slightly tart warm apple crisp with a cool sweet scoop of ice cream which just fancies my pallet.&nbsp;&nbsp;Their version was perfectly executed. I also appreciated how the portion wasn’t enormous. It <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>was just right after&nbsp;our&nbsp;satisfying meal so we wouldn't feel like rolling out of the restaurant at the end of the night – granted <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>I have to admit I was still&nbsp;pretty full by the end....But it was allll worth it!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-316APU74cQs/TaoqFbe848I/AAAAAAAAAD8/wTKTYDyrdxs/s1600/apple+crumble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-316APU74cQs/TaoqFbe848I/AAAAAAAAAD8/wTKTYDyrdxs/s320/apple+crumble.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect Finish to the perfect meal</td></tr></tbody></table><br />&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a nutshell, Rubywatchco delivered above and beyond my expectations. I knew chef Lyne Crawford was an elite in her field but this dinner blew her out of the field! Now&nbsp;if only&nbsp;I can get my parents to come into town so I can&nbsp;share with them&nbsp;one of this city's finest dining&nbsp;experiences.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>730 Queen Street East<br />(416) 465-0100<br />rubywatchco.ca<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-1305049388915414152011-03-20T10:40:00.000-07:002011-03-20T10:40:49.333-07:00LE ROSSIGNOL BISTRO...A new Leslieville gem?OK so nobody loves&nbsp;supporting their local&nbsp;neighbourhood restaurants more than me. I live in Leslieville&nbsp;and&nbsp;believe we have some&nbsp;some of the&nbsp;best restaurants in the city here. Call me biased but I truly believe it's only going to get better.&nbsp;So of course I want to try all these places out and spread the word to all&nbsp;of you in order&nbsp;to get you guys over in this beautiful (and I think the best) neighbourhood of Toronto..So I thought I would try the relatively new Rossignol bistro on Queen east near Broadview.&nbsp;I work&nbsp;right near&nbsp;there so&nbsp;I&nbsp;have passed by this place&nbsp;many times. It took over the space of Pop bistro&nbsp;just a few months ago.&nbsp;When Pop was around, I was never too interested&nbsp;in trying it&nbsp;out as I felt it looked a little, how can i say, blaaaah. There just didn't seem to be any ambiance and the space was extremely small. But most of all, the menu didn't speak to me much. I also thought it seemed&nbsp;a little expensive for the type of restaurant and pretty basic choices. Albeit the new Rossignol hasn't changed much of the interior (still just plain white walls in a long and narrow space), the feel of it seemed more inviting, not to mention the menu looked a lot more interesting and moderately priced.. <br /><br />I don't usually go for pasta dishes at french restaurants but everytime I had walked by the&nbsp;place&nbsp;and stopped to glance at the menu I was&nbsp;super intrigued and by their housemade pasta dish. Described as escargot, mixed mushrooms and truffle tomato sauce, the combination of these ingredients which I love individually but have never had together, made me super intrigued at the possibilities of this marriage of flavours.&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm still not &nbsp;sure if the actual noodles are housemade or if they are just referring to the dish as a whole but either way, as undecisive as I am usually in restaurants there was no doubt as to what I was getting when I went there for supper with a friend last week.<br /><br />&nbsp;Neither of us were very&nbsp;hungry so&nbsp;we both&nbsp;just got a&nbsp;main, although gotta admit it was a&nbsp;tough&nbsp;decision since they had a frisee salad on the menu as an apetizer&nbsp;(poached egg in mixed greens with bacon and dijon dressing), one of my all-time favorite french salads. But I figured this particular&nbsp;pasta&nbsp;dish&nbsp;seemed like something I wouldn't be able to get anywhere else so I was ok with my 1 course meal for the night. My friend&nbsp;opted for&nbsp;the steak-frites. This was a nice thick piece of filet mignon made with&nbsp; porcini jus and lemon aioli. Cooked perfectly to her liking, she thought it was one of the tastiest steaks she had had in a while. Her&nbsp;matchstick skinny fries were signature french and&nbsp;served in abundance.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i-MpdhNWDEc/TYYwvzvsC9I/AAAAAAAAADg/6MURnEF7-vQ/s1600/rossignol+steakfrites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i-MpdhNWDEc/TYYwvzvsC9I/AAAAAAAAADg/6MURnEF7-vQ/s320/rossignol+steakfrites.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">filet mignon&nbsp;et frites....mmmm frites..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>As for my pasta,&nbsp; I think I may have built up my expectations&nbsp;a little too high, imagining&nbsp;all the great flavours&nbsp;that I know and love&nbsp;from escargots, mushrooms, and especially truffle would jump out in this perfect explosion of flavour. In the end what I got was a nicely presented&nbsp;bowl of perfectly al-dente linguini in marinara sauce (no sign of truffle flavour).&nbsp;The&nbsp;small pieces of snails an mushrooms mixed in were plentiful but I honestly had trouble distinguishing one from the other as they were the same size and colour. Perhaps this&nbsp;may say something about the lack of&nbsp;flavour..hmmm. It was perfectly fine, but can't say i ever distinctly tasted any of the ingredients, which for me, make up a superior dish. The portion was also a little small to my liking, especially for the price.&nbsp;From the picture below you can see the fresh parmesan on top actually covers most of the pasta itself. If i'd known, I totally wouldv'e gotten the frisee salad to start. Needless to say&nbsp;I ended up&nbsp;stealing quite a few of my friend's fries when I was done and she&nbsp;was still working on her steak...which I can't complain about cuz their were&nbsp;super tasty!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A8KcnjYi2U8/TYYxfjvHxwI/AAAAAAAAADk/2CRFuZuu16I/s1600/rossignol+pasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A8KcnjYi2U8/TYYxfjvHxwI/AAAAAAAAADk/2CRFuZuu16I/s320/rossignol+pasta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">housemade pasta....plus de frites s'il&nbsp;vous plait&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I had a nice glass of Jamelles sauvignon blanc, which&nbsp;I&nbsp;was&nbsp;I was very happily surprised&nbsp;to&nbsp;find on the menu.&nbsp;This particular wine&nbsp;has always been one of my&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;innexpensive&nbsp;go-to&nbsp;wines in&nbsp;Montreal and I was&nbsp;actually disapointed to find out they don't carry it here at the LCBO. The wine&nbsp;list itself&nbsp;is pretty limited and mostly french, to be expected. But there are quite a few&nbsp;choices by the glass.&nbsp;&nbsp;And best of all&nbsp;their bottles are priced for all budgets - one thing I&nbsp;have found is often not the case in Toronto, where restaurants frequently boast overpriced wine lists in comparison to the pricepoint of their food. <br /><br />The service was very friendly, however quite slow, especially considering the place was practically empty and we&nbsp;each only ordered a single&nbsp;course. Perhaps they were spending all their time back there hand making each of my noodles..<br /><br />As&nbsp;for the&nbsp;ambiance, it&nbsp;is indeed&nbsp;a little too&nbsp;quiet and bland to my liking.&nbsp;Saying that, I am someone who likes&nbsp;going to a restaurant that is going to take me away from the everyday, or the feel i could get sitting at home making my own meal. I like action, good lighting and originality. This place is very unassuming,&nbsp;the lighting is way too&nbsp;dim, and the long&nbsp; narrow layout makes it feel a little confined;&nbsp;&nbsp;perhaps more suited to a quiet evening for&nbsp;a couple who wants an affordable and straight forward french meal.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LeC-jfdG9ik/TYY7mqoWwKI/AAAAAAAAADo/HhfR5FFHzfw/s1600/rossignol+interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LeC-jfdG9ik/TYY7mqoWwKI/AAAAAAAAADo/HhfR5FFHzfw/s320/rossignol+interior.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />686 Queen Street East, Toronto | 416.461.9663<br /><a href="http://www.lerossignolbistro.com/">http://www.lerossignolbistro.com/</a>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-18160743827844688312011-01-03T18:12:00.000-08:002011-01-03T18:12:55.126-08:00SPUNTINI - Italian Restaurant reviewHey everyone...<br />I know it's been a while since I've reviewed. I have been away for Christmas vacation with my family; more specifically on a glutinous, decadent cruise&nbsp;in &nbsp;the Carribean. Yes I use those terms because I ate waaaay too many lobster tails, shimp, steaks, fresh bread...as well as my fair share of good wines and champagne had.. I know&nbsp;it sounds like I had&nbsp;quite&nbsp; the spoiled experience but&nbsp;have to admit I am glad to be back to reality where I can enjoy delicious food but at a more moderate pace and amount. I realize, after this all you can eat type of service I had on the cruise, that sometimes smaller but more attentive portions make the plate more enjoyable and memorable. Not that I didn't love the food I was lucky enough to endulge in, but there is something about going to a great restaurant and being able to savour every scrumptious bite of a perfectly executed dish without getting full to excess.<br /><br />So this is where I get to my next review. Spuntini's, an italian restaurant I frequented in Toronto a few weeks back. I had the honor of going with my parents as well as 2 of my best friends. And there is nothling like sharing a great meal with loved ones! So word to the wise, save your best outings for those who matter most!<br /><br />I have to speak about the delicious&nbsp;octupus dish I got as an antipasto - ok I get that not everyone is a fan of octopus (probably because of its very distinct shape and texture) but it was grilled to perfection - a la Moroccan. Very simple&nbsp;but fresh, and the portion was just right&nbsp;to not fill me up for the following&nbsp;courses.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TSJ4Tr_gaHI/AAAAAAAAABc/k1A0Bz3cHXo/s1600/IMG00019-20101010-2034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TSJ4Tr_gaHI/AAAAAAAAABc/k1A0Bz3cHXo/s320/IMG00019-20101010-2034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Polpo alla Griglia (octopus)</div><br /><br />And&nbsp;yes I say&nbsp;courses because we&nbsp;got&nbsp;one of their famous mozza-mozza- mozzarella plates to share for the table.&nbsp;We opted for the Burrata which consisted of one on my faves - speck - a smoked prusciutto - along with buffalo mozarella and lightly dressed arugula. All so fresh and delicious.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TSJ4olW6JdI/AAAAAAAAABg/vrO9sLjIoas/s1600/IMG00020-20101010-2050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TSJ4olW6JdI/AAAAAAAAABg/vrO9sLjIoas/s320/IMG00020-20101010-2050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Burrata<br /><br /><br />As for mains, my mom and I both got&nbsp;one&nbsp;of my favorites (if not MY favorite) in&nbsp;Italian restaurants -&nbsp;seafood&nbsp;pasta. There is something about morsels of seafood in a light sauce (either white wine or&nbsp;marinara) and linguini together that makes the perfect match (also see my previous review of Biff's Bistro's memorable bouillabaise). I don't&nbsp;usually get pasta at restaurants but when&nbsp;go to a nice Italian restaurant that serves this dish I will endulge!<br /><br />Now don't get me wrong, it was good, however not the best I have had - I have to admit I have had this dish at over a dozen different places so I am pretty picky. However remember at this point I have already&nbsp;had&nbsp;my octopus, smoked prosciutto,&nbsp;plenty of cheese, and my share of&nbsp;bread, so stomach&nbsp;may have already&nbsp;been giving me the signal that it was time to call it a night on the food lol! But it was&nbsp;still&nbsp;a nice plate with large pieces of calamari, scallops and shrimp. The&nbsp;main&nbsp;criticism I would give was the ratio&nbsp;or pasta to seafood was too large - as usually I&nbsp;prefer more of the meaty stuff and&nbsp;not too much pasta. As well the tomato sauce could have had a little more flavour. Regardless, I came out of my meal a very happy, and satisfied girl. <br /><br />So to finish off, I love getting&nbsp;more smaller&nbsp;plates. My 2 first courses of the night were unfortgettable. The atmosphere was vibrant. Again, I can't stress this enough, I love when restaurants line the walls with wine bottles. It gives it such a&nbsp;warm feel. Another winning aspect was our waiter. We were treated like queens and king (my father being the brave lone male at a table of hungry women). Our family tends to be quite inquisitive and picky so kudos to our waiter for knowing everything on his menu inside and out. There is nothing worse that asking a waiter questions about items on&nbsp;the menu and them not knowing anything about them.. <br /><br />Spuntini's is a great date night spot, as well as makes for a nice family get-together. (again - open on sundays! - always a plus) Definitely make a reservation as it tends to fill up, especially on weekends.<br /><br />Eat well! and savour each and every bite :)<br /><br />116 Avenue Road<br />Toronto, ON M5R 2H4<br /><span class="skype_pnh_print_container">(416) 962-1110</span><span class="skype_pnh_container" dir="ltr"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #49535a;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"> </span></span></span></span></strong></span><br /><span class="skype_pnh_container" dir="ltr"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #49535a;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span class="skype_pnh_mark"><a href="http://www.spuntini.ca/">http://www.spuntini.ca/</a></span></span></span></span></strong></span>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-19112348127729124102010-12-14T19:13:00.000-08:002010-12-14T19:13:52.471-08:00Review of Mengrei Thai with my galsSo this weekend it was my school girls' last weekend before they all went off to their respective parts of the planet to continue their lives after we all completed Nutrition school together. Yes it was a sad weekend of farewells but it all cullminated with a delicious comfort meal of Thai food at a very quaint but busy restaurant tucked on an Ontario street corner. The restaurant doubles as a cooking school so the chef and assistants certainly know what they are doing as they educate on the art of cooking all day. <br /><br />The decor is very cute as the walls are made up of exposed brick and paintings line the walls. Very clean, simple but cute. The only awkward part is that the place is divided into 3 separate rooms. 1 small room in the middle as you walk in from outside then the 2 main dining rooms at either side. I always like the more open concept type space but all in all it is a pleasant atmosphere.<br />As for the food, my friend and I shared the fresh cold vegetarian spring rolls to start. Filled with tofu, mango, carrots and hoisin sauce, it was light and refreshing - perfect to start the meal off.<br /><br />Next the 3 of us had 3 of their top dishes. I had the green curry with shrimp. My friends had the red curry with tofu and the pad thai respectively. These were 3 of the most highly recommended dishes from both my friend who had been there before and the waiter. Both curries were delicious with the green version being slightly more spicey than the red. My stomach doesn't do too well with spicey but the steamed rice I added to the mix tamed the heat down considerably making it much more enjoyable and worry free! Large morsels of shrimp swam in the flavourful broth, finished with all sorts of veges. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.mengraithai.com/resources/_wsb_495x340_Mengrai+Thai+Red+Curry+Chicken+with+Lychees.jpg" /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Red curry<br /><br />All in all the food was delish. One thing I would recommend to all my foodies wanting to dine there is to speficy in you reservation (and&nbsp;yes you should reserve as it gets&nbsp;packed)&nbsp;that you would like to sit&nbsp; in one of the 2 main dining rooms and not the lonely bar area which we were designated to since we hadn't specified..<br /><br />Also, the service was a little on the slow side, although we realized we had been assigned to the 2 new employees who had apparently only been there for 2 days so who knows if they had made a mistake in the ordering....and maybe another reason why they assigned them to the small empty room were were sitting in. However, all the waiters and manager alike were very welcoming, sweet and attentive, which made up for the long wait...Buuuut of course I couldn't help but do my usual get up and ask the waiting staff if our food had been forgotten (as if they had literally lost our orders..what happens when you're desperately hungry haha)<br /><br />Mengrei Thai<br />82 Ontario Street<br /><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #49535a;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_active_common" dir="ltr" title="Call this phone number in Canada with Skype: +14168402754"><span class="skype_pnh_textarea_span"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span" style="color: white;">416-840-2754</span></span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></span></strong>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-38331881898700577762010-12-05T13:08:00.000-08:002010-12-05T23:23:27.297-08:00Classic french cuisine at Biff's Bistro avec mamanSorry guys it has been a while since I've posted...school's sort of taken over my life...regardless, I've been very excited to finally&nbsp;blog about my most recent entry...Biff's Bistro.<br /><br />My mom came to visit me last weekend from Montreal so she asked me where I wanted to go eat while she was here. Knowing I'm a real foodie, she trusted me to make some stellar&nbsp;picks. Of course I was so caught up in school work that I waited until the last minute and all the places I was thinking about were of full all weekend :( I'm telling you if you want a get a table at one of the new trendy places in Toronto on a Friday or Saturday you better make sure to get a reservation well ahead of time...or you may be greatly disapointed. My mother then suggested a place I had never heard of... a place she had been a couple years earlier on a prior visit to Toronto...called Biffs Bistro. I wasn't too sure about it cuz I had never heard of it and I'm always on top of knowing what's best out there!! But, in the end i must give her all the credit because it was the best place we went to eat out of all 3 nights she was here.. Way to go mom!! I know where I get my good taste in food from ;)<br /><br />This is one of the restaurants&nbsp;owned by the&nbsp;Oliver and Bonnicini group. First of all the service was attentive and top notch throughout. True we were pretty much the only ones there in this great big open space&nbsp;and it was still early for supper&nbsp;on a&nbsp;sunday&nbsp;since I had&nbsp;to get&nbsp;my mom to the airport (we were told the restaurant just started being open for supper sundays so it hadn't caught on quite yet..) However my mom assured me the last time she was here it was packed. I can only imagine the amazing vibe this place must have on&nbsp;a full night. Such great ambiance in this place...and for my me and family, that's half of what makes or breaks a restaurant!<br /><br />Now to the foooooood....So consistently good. I made sure to take more than just 1 pic this time for you guys. I was super excited to show you guys what we ate. Too bad I can't have one of those fancy cameras cuz I really don't think my blackberry camera does justice to the quality and presentation of the food. <br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">First they brought to our table some classic french&nbsp;cornichons (baby&nbsp;pickles) and fresh grainy mustard&nbsp;along with our bread basket. Made sure to get a pic...totally bistro&nbsp;style.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TPv1018c-AI/AAAAAAAAABM/9c4cZrc3h-w/s1600/IMG00021-20101128-1915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TPv1018c-AI/AAAAAAAAABM/9c4cZrc3h-w/s320/IMG00021-20101128-1915.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">cornichons and fresh grainy mustard</div><br />As an appetizer I had this perfect salad that combined all the right flavours of sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy.. It was a roasted beet, spiced pecan and cheese salad. I had never heard of Ciel de Charlevoix cheese. It's a Quebec cheese that my mom assured me was terrific, and since my mom is as quebecois as you get, and is a cheese fanatic on top of it, I took her word for it. I was not disappointed. It had a bit of a bite but not as strong as a blue cheese and was firm&nbsp;yet melt in your mouth delicious. Complemented the sweetness of the <br />beets. <br /><br />I followed that up with a seafood bouillabaisse (basically seafood stew). Coming from Montreal and having eaten at many a&nbsp; french restaurant, I have encountered some good and not so good versions of this dish. This one was definitely one of my favorite. What I especially appreciated about it was that they cooked the large morssels of fish and seafood seperately then the waiter added the fish broth over the whole beautifully presented concoction right in front of my eyes. The fish was topped with a cheese covered baguette crouton. I savoured every last bite..and of course soaked up the rest of the spicy broth with bread until I polished the bowl..mmmm!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TPv8OdXc5GI/AAAAAAAAABU/YOARbIaBukQ/s1600/IMG00025-20101128-1926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TPv8OdXc5GI/AAAAAAAAABU/YOARbIaBukQ/s320/IMG00025-20101128-1926.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">bouillabaisse...I want more!!</div><br /><br /><br />My mom opted for one of her staple favorite dishes - the mussels - always a must at a french bistro. These were a la Provencal (in a tomato, garlic and thyme broth) They were huuuge!&nbsp; -&nbsp;I swear the meat in those shells were 3 times the size I'm used to. Needless to say she was very pleased by the portion...and the quality. The broth was savoury as again, &nbsp;we both dipped bread in it to finish off when she was done! She ordered some signature thin cut&nbsp;french fries which came with a side of fresh housemade rouille (also a&nbsp;classic &nbsp;french&nbsp;sauce made up of <span style="color: white;">olive oil, chili peppers, and garlic) It paired great with the&nbsp;fries.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TPv6GWU6KtI/AAAAAAAAABQ/UWc9SFJk3io/s1600/IMG00024-20101128-1926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TPv6GWU6KtI/AAAAAAAAABQ/UWc9SFJk3io/s320/IMG00024-20101128-1926.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">mussles, fries, and rouille</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We shared a nice bottle of white bourgogne alligote which complemented our seafood dishes perfectly. No room for desert though.. But what a great finish to an amazing weekend with my mom. It's times like this that I really appreciate my french heritage and my family's love for good food..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">....oh&nbsp;and did I mention&nbsp;that I love food?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So just go, and try the desert for me...let me know what I missed out on!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Biff's Bistro</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 Front Street East</div><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #49535a;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="color: black;">416.860.0086</span><span class="skype_pnh_right_span">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></strong>﻿justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-4276621812542083232010-11-23T18:58:00.000-08:002010-12-05T18:41:04.958-08:00Asuka - Authentic sushi in the heart of YorkvilleI say sushi, when well done, should be like sex in the mouth. The distinct flavours in a maki roll should leave me closing my eyes&nbsp;allowing me&nbsp;to distinguish the independant ingredients&nbsp;yet savouring their harmony as a whole.<br /><br />Asuka is the first sushi place I have ever been to in Toronto and still remains my favorite..for that exact reason..<br /><br />Sato the chef is there every day except monday. He is completely passionate about his art, his sushi. <br /><br />The best, very best roll is the red carpet roll. This original and melt in your mouth roll consists of crispy shrimp, avocado, and tempura bits wrapped in rice paper and rolled in an abundant amount of fresh tuna sashimi. (yup that's right - no rice! so a great choice for all you low carb addicts ;)&nbsp;&nbsp;And&nbsp;this whole concoction&nbsp;is topped&nbsp;with a delicious spicy sauce. This same roll is offered as a yellow carpet roll, where the tuna is replaced with salmon. Whenever my family and I go to Asuka&nbsp;we straight away order one of each even before thinking about looking at the rest of the menu.. talk about sex in the mouth!<br /><br />Other great choices in include the sexy roll- consisiting of shrimp tempura, eel, spicy tuna and avocado<br /><br />Their straight up sashimi also rises above the rest. Chef Sato never skimps on the portions..you'll have plenty to keep you full...and by that I don't mean rice..i mean fresh fish and or/veges.<br /><br />The decor is casual yet very authentically japanese. You don't feel like you're in a pretentious sushi restautant and yet the quality may reflect top notch!<br /><br />So make your way to the underground restaurant on Yorkville avenue and visit where all the NHL players and movie starts frequent whenever they are in town...just take a&nbsp;look at all the portraits on his wall of these celebrities posing with Sato to prove it...guessing he must be doing something right!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TOx-iUuZjnI/AAAAAAAAABI/SAfyD5ok1Vc/s1600/Asuka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TOx-iUuZjnI/AAAAAAAAABI/SAfyD5ok1Vc/s320/Asuka.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Red carpet roll and and fish roe roll</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Asuka Japanese Restaurant</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">108 Yorkville Avenue</div>(416) 975-9084<br />﻿justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-64950544264357924412010-11-13T16:11:00.000-08:002010-11-13T16:11:59.892-08:00Pure Spirits Oyster HouseCan I just say I love the Distillerie district?! I love walking along the cobble stone streets and peaking into the little art galleries or boutiques. But first and foremost, they have quite the noteworthty restaurants- my favorite being Pure Spirits Oyster House<br /><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Unfortunately, I have never tried their signature oysters, however they are not short on other delectible dishes. The menu is quite impressive to read. If you have an adventurous pallet you've got a lot to choose from.<br /><br />&nbsp;I just had to post a pic of the interior, which I love. Firstly, don't get me started on the exposed brick...Looooove the rustic feel! And on a very original note, wine bottles are&nbsp;hung horizontally along the wall so as to give it the wine cellar feel. Very cool.. Most of the tables are booths&nbsp;at one of the room, and&nbsp;a long narrow&nbsp;bar filled with stools line the other side. Funnily enough they are more well known for their patio in the summer, but yet both times I have been we have chosen to eat inside due to the interior atmosphere.</div><br />Food is varied for all tastes. The&nbsp;chef is definitely not afraid to experiment with different flavours such as their <br />hawaiian ahi tuna tartar&nbsp;mixed with sesame seeds , grilled pineapple, red onions and served with rice crisps - perfect for making little canapes. Very fresh and copious. I savoured every bite of that one...only wish I had the pic to show you guys :(...oh well, guess I'll have to go back soon to get on that ;)<br />Another noteworthy dish is their goat cheese&nbsp;and roasted beet salad.&nbsp;Verry generous on the sweet beets!&nbsp;It's also completed with marinated mushrooms, red onions, balsamic and fig vinaigrette. delightful<br /><br />Their sandwiches are alright but not one of their best dishes. Pretty sure they only serve them for lunch. So many of their entrees I haven't tried sound great..such as short ribs, black cod...In a nutshell, looks like I'll have to be going back very soon<br /><br />Although their specialty is seafood, there are plenty of meat and vegetarian&nbsp;options to choose from. So an excellent choice for tastes of all kinds...not to mention a&nbsp;vibrant atmosphere! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TN8P7ZNyT1I/AAAAAAAAABA/kd-RMPeetKQ/s1600/pure+spirits+resto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TN8P7ZNyT1I/AAAAAAAAABA/kd-RMPeetKQ/s320/pure+spirits+resto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Located at:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">55 Mill Street </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">[416] 361 5859﻿</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.purespirits.ca/">http://www.purespirits.ca/</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-63227701479563521742010-10-31T19:33:00.000-07:002010-10-31T19:40:18.898-07:00Sunday Brunch at Lola's Commissary<span style="color: white;">Went to brunch at Lola's Commissary on Church street today witih my bro. Right from the moment we walked in we were impressed by the building and decor. The exposed brick walls lined with paintings and the simply furnished open space&nbsp;made for an inviting place to want to sit in and relax on a slow halloween sunday.</span><br /><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: white;">Bro got <span class="style7">Eggs Lola: </span>poached eggs, ancho chicken, tortillas, avocado, la vaquita (sheep’s milk crème fraiche). Looked amazing. (and dish was scarfed down at&nbsp;the speed to confirm the presumption..)</span><br /><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: white;">I got the <span class="style7">Egg White Frittata . filled with </span>goat’s cheese, mushrooms, spinach, hemp pesto.the flavours were magical..</span><br /><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: white;">Was originally going to get the <span class="style7">Eggsmopolitan - their version of the salmon benny - always a brunch favorite of mine, but unfortunatetely they were out of salmon today. I guess I'll have to go back verrrry soon to get my fix. </span></span><br /><span class="style7" style="color: white;">I am indeed looking forward taking a friend there for my next visit. </span><br /><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br /><span class="style7" style="color: white;">The menu boasts both sweet and savoury dishes as well as vegetarian options. So suitable for all tastes.</span><br /><span class="style7" style="color: white;">Enjoy!</span><br /><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TM4l6TlKL9I/AAAAAAAAAA8/0fWA49KL6Ac/s1600/lola's+comissary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TM4l6TlKL9I/AAAAAAAAAA8/0fWA49KL6Ac/s320/lola's+comissary.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="style7" style="color: black;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="color: white;">Egg white frittata..with rye toast and "sexy potatoes" </span></span><br /><span class="style7" style="color: white;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(mix of sweet and roasted potatoes)</span><br /><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><br /><span class="style7" style="color: white;">Lola's Commissary</span><br /><span class="style7" style="color: white;">634 Church St.</span><br /><span class="style7" style="color: black;"><span class="style7" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.lolascommissary.ca/">http://www.lolascommissary.ca/</a></span></span>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-6796495408418293562010-10-19T18:50:00.000-07:002010-10-19T19:01:31.509-07:00Lunch at Utopia CafeI've been to Utopia Cafe&nbsp;3 times and have never been disapointed. They have a killer menu (by that i mean in quality aaand quanitity...very long) But the restaurant doesn't suffer from the usual downfalls of places offering a large menu -&nbsp;usually being&nbsp;the quality of the food!<br />Not only is it good, but be prepared to take half of it home as the portions are huuge...but still serve up some healthy and fresh ingredients. What I love about this place is they don't skimp on the veges and greens. I've experienced too many dinners out where the restaurant's salad is composed of&nbsp;a few lonely pieces of lettuce. <br /><br />For this particular meal, my parents were over for&nbsp;a visit from Montreal, and as I know my mom loves her salads, I figured it would be a great place to take them for a nice lunch on a beautiful sunday afternoon. <br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My dad got a lamb and brie wrap (yes sounds quite rich...but oh so good, and just spicy enough to keep you wanting more). But to my complete shock, my father, who I have never seen leave anything on his plate, couldn't finish the decadant sandwich. This only due to the fact that it was humongous and rich enough to make up 3 meals for a regular person!</div>My mother got a shrimp curry salad. The dozen or so&nbsp;shrimp were prepared in a spicey indian rub and covered a beatiful bed of lettuce.<br /><br />But I must admit I as "the winner!" (common expression my mother uses for the person who seems to have chosen the best meal out of all those at the table!) <br /><br />I couldn't resist..I got&nbsp;the warm&nbsp;goat cheese and&nbsp;mushroom salad.&nbsp;I added a tender marinated chicken breast&nbsp;to the order&nbsp;and the plate was perfect in terms of flavors and texture. I- ate the whole thing! Granted I can live off salad. <br /><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So for those of you who love fresh ingredients, and&nbsp;a lot of them&nbsp;- along with friendly, no fuss service - check out Utopia.<br /><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">P.S. They also have the vegetarian friendly option to subsitute any of the meat dishes with tofu! This is great news to any or my vegetarian and vegan friends! Now everyone can go out together and enjoy a top notch lunch or dinner right in the heart of the trendy College street strip.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TL5JsHNIEhI/AAAAAAAAAAY/cJIrajctFPw/s1600/Utopia+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TL5JsHNIEhI/AAAAAAAAAAY/cJIrajctFPw/s320/Utopia+salad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My salad- "Objects in picture are muuuuuch larger than they appear"</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Located at:</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">586 College St (corner Clinton St.)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://utopiacafe.ca/">http://utopiacafe.ca/</a></div></div>justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-430535082196585822010-10-05T18:38:00.000-07:002010-11-07T08:07:27.941-08:00Pho mi gia phung...on a tuesday nightWith all the simple yet wonderful little vietnamese restaurants that line the streets of Gerrard St east, I decided to check this unnasuming joint&nbsp;in East Chinatown on a quiet Tuesday evening.&nbsp;Despite&nbsp;the fact that I may have difficulty&nbsp;remembering how to pronouncing the name of this restaurant,&nbsp; I can assure you it remains memorable. I was immediately&nbsp;impressed by the warm service and passion of the servers...and then very soon found out my waitress was the daughter of the owner and chef...so that may&nbsp;explain quite a bit.<br /><br />But seriously, I am&nbsp;so used to going to Hanoi 3 Seasons next door to satisfy my routine pho craving.., but this resto holds a place of sanctuary. The manager Tyler is incredibly helpful and patient (who I later found out used to actually manage Hanoi next door), as is my waitress Jenn&nbsp;(daughter of the owner).<br /><br />I decided to order the delicious house renowned "Mi do bien" which is a bowl of mixed seafood in a light&nbsp;aromatic broth&nbsp;with egg noudles. I never realized until now how much more flavour egg noodles have compared to rice noodles. What I found original is that they serve the noodles seperate from the soup.I was told this&nbsp;helps keep&nbsp;the flavour of the&nbsp;egg noodles intact. Very true indeed- slightly sweet and delicious. Then I realized they bathe the noodles in a light sauce made with&nbsp;green onions and jus a dash of&nbsp;oil....perfect. So then it becomes a do it yourself. You decide how much&nbsp;of the noodles to&nbsp;add into the&nbsp;broth..&nbsp;best is to do it a little at a time to keep flavours fresh.&nbsp;Genius!<br />So there you go...a great&nbsp;new twist on a usually very simple dish.The rare beef pho is also devine..and a dish they are known for!<br />Enjoy<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Mi do bien<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TKvSy4oh7pI/AAAAAAAAAAU/hmRww5SnS1w/s1600/pho+mi+gia+phung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TKvSy4oh7pI/AAAAAAAAAAU/hmRww5SnS1w/s320/pho+mi+gia+phung.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pho mi gia phung﻿</div>Located at 598 Gerrard (corner Broadview)<br />416 463 6699justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7401369527633960434.post-1820992164501300802010-10-02T17:32:00.000-07:002010-11-08T17:17:34.819-08:00The One and Only CafeI came to this cafe on the Danforth today as part of my Indie Cofee Passport tour. <br /><br />I started off by heading there with the goal of getting some school work done. I had a beautiful soothing&nbsp; rooibos loose leaf tea. The atmosphere of the place was very inviting. Lighting is always a big one for me and I felt at home welcomed here right away as the barista was very helpful and friendly. <br /><br />When I was done work I realized there's actually a bar attached to the coffee house. They are actually called "The Only". So they work together. They've got a good thing going on here though because both the bar and cafe are host to some delicious and unique drinks. So at "The Only", the first thing I noticed was the very extensive collection of beer from around the world lining the backwall fridge. So many types I have never seen. I figured I just HAD to try one before I left. I mentioned&nbsp;I am not usually a traditional beer lover and tend to go for the fruity type. The bartender immediately suggested I try the Amsterdam "Strong Framboise beer" Sitting in at 6.5% alcohol - I guess that's what they call strong. Regardless, it was delicious and fruity, but NOT too sweet...key for me!<br /><br />So all in all, I highly recommend both parts of this establishment. Start your outing at the cafe then move over to the bar for a yummy, very well priced pint or bottle of beer. Best of all, look forward to being welcomed by a friendly staff!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TKfPD60hGnI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/qgMEK9tsQUc/s1600/Only+bar+amsterdam+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Gqnb5iNrYN0/TKfPD60hGnI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/qgMEK9tsQUc/s320/Only+bar+amsterdam+beer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Amsterdam Strong Framboise beer</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The One and&nbsp;Only Cafe<br />Located at 966 Danforth (neer Greenwood)justhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09816296001235655001noreply@blogger.com0